Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

[Reza]

Cinderella (Kay Cannon) 1/10

The less said the better.

The Battle of the River Plate (Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1956) 5/10

Highly popular (at the boxoffice), tediously slow and surprisingly routine WWII battle of wits between three British Naval ships trying to bring down a mighty German battleship. The British Naval ships are led by stiff upper lip officers John Gregson, Bernard Lee, Ian Hunter and Anthony Quayle as they take on the German ship "Graf Spee". Powell-Pressburger's sympathetic treatment of the "enemy" depicts the officers from both sides highly congenial and respectful in their actions towards each other. The gallant heroism of both the British Navy and the German Captain Langsdorff (Peter Finch), who scuttles his own ship rather than face defeat, is the subject dealt without any of the usual propaganda. During the 1950s British studios continued to churn out films about WWII to satiate the public's appetites with stories of British victories at a time when the country was still suffering from the economic hardships brought on by the financial cost of the war. The film omits the tragic final act of the Graf Spee story. In a hotel room in Buenos Aires a few days after scuttling his own ship and, unable to cope with defeat, Captain Langsdorff committed suicide. His body was found dressed in full uniform and wrapped in the battle-flag of his sunken vessel. The stunning colour cinematography by Christopher Challis is a major plus.

Deported (Robert Siodmak, 1950) 7/10

Atmospheric B-movie is very loosely based on events in the life of Lucky Luciano. An Italian-American gangster (Jeff Chandler) is deported to Italy after spending five years in jail for a robbery in New York. The tough, cynical man finds that the local people in his village look up to him, the street urchins love him and the local Countess (Märta Torén), a widow, is enamoured of him and likes his company. A local cop (Claude Dauphin) is suspicious and lies await for the crook to get the stolen loot across from America. Siodmak, back in Europe after many years in Hollywood, creates an interesting little film which also turns out to be an Italian travelogue with scenes shot by the great William Daniels in Naples, Siena and Tuscany. There is great chemistry between Chandler and Märta Torén while lovely Marina Berti adds to the local colour.

Escape From East Berlin (Robert Siodmak, 1962) 7/10

The on location filming in Berlin - the West side doubling for the East side - gives this story an urgent authenticity. The drab run-down buildings, control towers, barbed wire everywhere and the high thick wall evoke a sense of claustrophobia and constant danger. The screenplay, based on true events, focuses on a family living in a dilapidated house very close to the Wall. It is soon after the Berlin Wall went up. The catalyst for the family's escape is a young man who attempts to drive through the wall, fails and is shot by guards. His sister (Christine Kaufman) goes looking for him and questions his friend (Don Murray) of his whereabouts. Through a twist of fate she gets stuck with him and his family in their house where the subject of escaping from their closeted life results in a plan to dig through the walls of their basement and under the Wall to freedom. Will they make it or are they doomed to fail? This gritty, dimly lit suspense tale is directed with a sure hand by Siodmak evoking memories of the many brilliant film noirs he made in Hollywood during the 1940s.

Betrayed (Cost-Gavras, 1988) 4/10

Costa-Gavras, who specialized in exposing clandestine right-wing groups in movies like “Z” and “Missing”, comes up with a cropper with this one. While it puts a light on American neo-Nazi and white supremist groups the screenplay either pussy-foots with the subject or the studio chickened out and made heavy cuts. He inserts a gut-wrenching cringy sequence involving a black man being hunted like an animal by white supremists but then fails to link the scene later to a cathartic moment thus rendering that sequence totally
gratuitous and unnecessary. An itinerant farm laborer (Debra Winger) works at harvesting fields in Iowa. She meets a lonely widower (Tom Berenger), takes a shine to him and his two kids and moves in with them on their farm. Both hide their true identities from each other - she is an undercover FBI agent on the lookout for white supremists in the Midwest while he and his buddies all turn out to be the racist bunch she is staking out. In love with the suspect she finds she can no longer do her job but is forced by her boss (John Heard) - and former lover - to maintain her position and continue to spy. It is only a matter of time before she is betrayed and her lover finds out. The film totally lacks tension and the last section of the plot takes on an absurd abrupt turn which really makes no sense. Winger is very good throughout as the tough woman who finds her loyalties in a confused state. Berenger comes off like a spoilt child trying to act mean and racist. Just like the romance between them it's hard to buy his mood swings and actions. The script also points a finger at corruption within the American government but the whole movie seems half baked and none of the points being made truly register which is a pity.

Middle of the Night (Delbert Mann, 1959) 8/10

Paddy Chayefsky adapts his own play - a Tony nominated hit on Broadway with Edward G. Robinson and Gena Rowlands - about a shaky May-December romance. A successful businessman (Fredric March) gets infatuated with a receptionist (Kim Novak) at his office who is as old as his daughter. He is a lonely widower and she is a recent divorcée scarred by her failed marriage. Their seesaw relationship is a mixture of euphoric sex, sudden doubts, petty jealousies and quiet happy moments. His age is a big issue for her as she vacilates between wanting to marry him and wondering if she is heading for disaster. They manage to ignore the protests and snide remarks of their families - her mother (Glenda Farrell) and best friend (Lee Grant) and his spinster sister (Edith Meiser) and daughter (Joan Copeland) - but their own confused minds cause them to take a pause in the relationship. It is to Chayefsky's credit that both characters, as written, come off with a great deal of sympathy. He is not a creepy middle-aged sexual predator and she is not a golddigger. Both are decent human beings who through loneliness find a connection. March gives a moving performance and Novak matches him every step of the way.

[gunnar]

The Revolt of Job (1983) - 7/10 - An older Jewish shepherd and his wife live in a Hungarian village as the Nazi threat comes ever closer. All of their children are dead so they decide to adopt a young Christian orphan so that they will have someone to leave their wealth and some of their knowledge. The boy they choose is headstrong and somewhat hard to control, though he comes around some as he becomes acclimated to his new situation. The movie was good, though kind of meandering at times.

The Elementary School (1991) - 8/10 - Eda is a young boy who lives in a town just outside of Prague in the fall of 1945. He hangs out a lot with his best friend, Tonda. Their elementary school class consists of only boys and they are very wild, causing their female teacher to just walk out one day. The replacement is a veteran and strict disciplinarian who uses corporal punishment with a switch, but still wins over the class and causes great improvement in their behavior in school. He has a weakness for younger women, though, and this could get him in trouble. The film takes place over the course of the school year and is pretty charming and entertaining.

Kolya (1996) - 6.5/10 - Louka is a talented musician in his mid-50s who plays at funerals and is a confirmed bachelor. He has money troubles thanks in part to supporting his mother and her house. He agrees to a fake marriage with a Russian woman so that she can stay in Czechoslovakia. A short time later, she defects to the West, leaving behind her five year old son who ends up in the care of Louka, much to his chagrin. The movie was enjoyable enough, but felt fairly superficial and the ending seemed kind of sudden.

Zdenek Sverák wrote (and played a lead role) in both Kolya and The Elementary School with his son Jan directing. Kolya won the Oscar, but is very much inferior to The Elementary School which was only nominated.

[Reza]

Respect (Liesl Tommy, 2021) 7/10

A long and dramatic life gets the fast-forward treatment here as it rushes through sad and exhilarating moments in the life of American singer Aretha Franklin (Jennifer Hudson). All the screen biography tropes are present and well hammered in by the screenplay. A singing sensation at any early age at the church of her Minister father (Forest Whitaker), the trauma of losing her mother (Audra MacDonald), a victim of sexual abuse, two early pregnancies, a record contract that produces nine albums but no hits, hooking up against her family's wishes with a man who becomes her manager and husband, tasting big success with her first single and finally becoming a huge star which comes with a further price - domestic violence and alcoholism. Was there ever any star in Hollywood or in the world of music that didn't have ugly stepping stones to walk over? This by-the-numbers film (with superb period detail) is compensated by Franklin's memorable songs performed in great voice by Jennifer Hudson herself. All the familiar songs get showcased - "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)", "Respect" which became her signature song, "Ain't No Way", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" which was another signature song, "Chain of Fools", "I Say a Little Prayer", "Amazing Grace" and many more. Both Whitaker and Mary J. Blige (as a bitchy Dinah Washington) are very good but its Hudson who transcends the material and soars with a memorable performance - mostly underplayed - showing quiet dignity and respect to the late singer's memory. This performance proves that Hudson's Oscar win for "Dreamgirls" was no fluke and she is more than likely to be a strong contender for awards next year too.

The Dam Busters (Michael Anderson, 1956) 8/10

British historical film that details the work of English scientist, engineer and inventor, Barnes Wallis (Michael Redgrave), who conceived the idea of bouncing bombs to be used in destroying three German dams during WWII. Operation Chastise was carried out by a Royal Air Force Squadron led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson (Richard Todd). Epic film covers first the painstaking process of perfecting the bomb followed by the Squadron doing practice runs flying at a low altitude. Redgrave, as the rather eccentric inventor, and Todd as the dashing leader of the Squadron are both very good. The sequence depicting the attack is memorable with the film's special effects team earning an Academy Award nomination. Much later there was controversy when the film was censored during a tv showing - Guy Gibson's beloved black labrador named "Nigger" was the cause of the censorship when the tv channel censored the dog's name causing continuity issues. Another version on tv dubbed the name "Nigger" into "Trigger". The final attack on the Death Star at the climax of "Star Wars" is a deliberate and acknowledged homage to the exciting climatic sequence in this film.

[gunnar]

Beyond Imagining: Margaret Anderson and the Little Review (1991) - 7.5/10 - The Little Review was an influential literary magazine published from 1914-1929. It was founded by an eccentric woman named Margaret Anderson and was later taken over by Anderson's lover, Jane Heap. Anderson and Heap had to go to court to face obscenity charges for serializing James Joyce's Ulysses as he wrote it. Anderson split from Heap and moved to France during the 1920s. The film does a nice job covering Anderson's time on The Little Review and then skims through the rest of her life. It is told mostly through narration (with an actor portraying Anderson's voice) and an interview with a Professor of English. It was interesting.

City Out of Wilderness (1974) - 7.5/10 - This film is a brief history of Washington, D.C., from its planning and construction in the 1790s on a site that was filled with swamps and forest to the (then) present day. The film highlights aspects of the growing city and major events that took place there as it skips through the decades. We see the city becoming more modern as buildings are remodeled, streets are paved, and the wilderness and farm areas gradually disappear. The last part of the film explores Washington, D.C. as it looked in the 1970s. I thought it was a nice film and it was interesting to see some of the changes over the years.

The Silent Village (1943) - 6.5/10 - The massacre of Lidice by the Nazis is re-enacted as if it took place in Wales instead. It was fairly effective, but could have been much better.

Baelin's Route (2021) - 9/10 - Baelin is an NPC fisherman in a video game who can only a couple of lines. He gets recruited by an adventurer to help on a quest and discovers that he has abilities beyond just fishing. Rowan Bettjeman does a nice job as Baelin and Phoenix Cross is really good as the princess who needs help. She is also pretty good at interpreting the way Baelin says his line. The film is funny and a good short adventure as well.

Harvest (1967) - 5/10 - The film features sparse narration and plenty of images of farmers at harvest time from Texas north to Canada. The images are okay and the background music is pretty good, but the narration and the film itself are rather dull.

For God and Country (1943) - 4/10 - Ronald Reagan stars in this somewhat uninspired WWII film about U.S. Army chaplains as they get training and then deploy with the troops. It wasn't very interesting or convincing.

The Naked Eye (1956) - 9/10 - This documentary starts with a history of photography up through the 1950s and is followed by profiles of several prominent photographers of the day, including Alfred Eisenstaedt of Life magazine, a photojournalist known as Weegee who photographed the gamut from murder scenes to opera, and Edward Weston. We get to see each man briefly in the film and get insight into their lives as photographers through the narration and through many of their photos. The film is expertly narrated by Raymond Massey, has a very nice soundtrack, and seems to be lovingly made by director Louis Stoumen, himself a photographer in addition to directing and producing films. Stoumen won two Academy Awards, but this one lost to Jacques Cousteau's The Silent World. It's a shame that this film isn't as widely viewed as that one.

[gunnar]

Death on the Job (1991) - 8/10 - This documentary exposes some of the problems that led to the deaths of workers in commercial fishing, coal mining, and at petroleum refineries. The common theme was a disregard for safety protocols by the people in charge. OSHA was mentioned as having been created over 20 years earlier to cut down on these types of incidents, but it was rather toothless and ineffectual. Companies would make a show of bringing things up to safety standards on the rare occasions that OSHA would show up and then stop worrying about it. Workers were pushed to be more productive and make greater profits with little concern for their well being. I thought this was a very good documentary, though how much it helped change things is difficult to say.

Spaces: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph (1983) - 7/10 - Paul Rudolph was a talented architect who designed buildings at Yale, Emory University, the Tuskegee Institute, and elsewhere. His designs were usually complex and tied in to his personal vision, though they occasionally clashed with the needs or view of his clients. This film takes us a bit behind the scenes with Rudolph's thoughts as he designs and builds a chapel at Emory. They also visit a few of his earlier works.

Children Without (1965) - 7/10 - This film is shot in and around an inner city Detroit school and focuses on some of the needs of the poor children that attend the school and how the school can help them. I think that the needs of the children are (and were) real, but the ability of the school to correct or compensate for these issues is highly exaggerated, even for the time period this took place in. The one father in the film is portrayed as having no interest in his kids, spending his time sleeping or drinking or watching tv while neglecting his kids. That seemed overly exaggerated as well.

Last Breeze of Summer (1991) - 8/10 - A woman reminisces back to when she was 14 and became the first black student at an otherwise all white school in the South. It isn't easy, but she is determined to see it through. This was a pretty good short that doesn't delve too deeply into the topic, but captures the essence of that time nonetheless.

The Yanks are Coming (1963) - 8/10 - Richard Basehart narrated this WWI documentary. It uses archival footage as Basehart follows the course of the war from a U.S. perspective. At first, the U.S. tries to stay out of the 'European War', but is eventually drawn in as American lives are lost to German u-boats. The film gives a decent surface review of the war, though it would have to be a lot longer to have real depth.

High Schools (1983) - 9/10 - This is an excellent documentary about the state of high schools in the U.S. in 1983. I related to it quite a bit on two levels - first as a student since I started high school myself in 1984 and second as a teacher who spent 27 years in high schools. Many things were covered here, both from student and teacher perspectives. The film suggests that teacher education programs at the time were not very relevant to the actual needs of prospective teachers and this was my experience as well when I was in college. The need for teaching reading and writing across the curriculum is something that I saw being pushed 25 years later. This was filmed in seven high schools over a school year and sees many interactions and discusses a wide range of topics, many of which are still very relevant today. One thing that I think is unfortunate, though, is the great decline in programs such as automotive, shop classes, and culinary arts. These have taken a back seat in the push to have every student attend college and increase standardized tests scores under the myth that schools were failing and this does a disservice to a number of students who would benefit from those classes.

Eight Minutes to Midnight: A Portrait of Dr. Helen Caldicott (1981) - 7/10 - Helen Caldicott is an Australian pediatrician who gave up her medical practice and also her teaching job at Harvard to pursue her anti-nuclear beliefs. She has written a number of books, started organizations, and traveled around the world to speak against uranium mining, nuclear power plants, nuclear weapons, etc. She speaks to the danger of cancer, birth defects, and other other issues related to nuclear power and weapons. It wasn't bad, though it seemed a bit repetitive as it went on. Hopefully her advocacy helped lead to an increase in safety standards.

Six-Sided Triangle (1963) - 5/10 - A love triangle of two men and a woman is repeated (by the same actors) in six different cultures, usually with similar results. I didn't find most of it all that interesting.

Don't Mess with Bill (1980) - 6/10 - This short film features Bill Underwood, the man who created an unarmed martial art called Defendo that he traveled across several countries teaching to law enforcement officers. He was already 84 when they made this film and he was still at it. He had a few decent stories, but it was difficult to get a real understanding of his technique just from this brief documentary.

Keats and His Nightingale: A Blind Date (1985) - 7/10 - This film analyzes Keats and his famous poem "Ode to a Nightingale" by interviewing teachers, students, and others to read and attempt to interpret the poem. They also give a bit of context into Keats and his life along with what he was going through at the time he wrote the poem (the death of his younger brother). I'm not a fan of poetry, but the film is well made and somewhat interesting even to those of us who do not aspire to creative verse such as this.

[Reza]

Snake Eyes (Robert Schwentke, 2021) 7/10

American superhero film with a predominantly Asian cast is like a Hong Kong martial arts actioner. Snake Eyes (Henry Golding), heroic masked agent of the G.I. Joe organization, gets a spin-off film all to himself with the screenplay here providing him his origin. When his dad is assassinated a young boy grows up looking for vengeance and becomes a tough martial arts fighter. He attracts the attention of a rich Yakuza boss who offers to find his father's killer provided he works for him. When he is asked to shoot a traitor he refuses and instead saves the man's life. This involves him in the family power struggle of the Arashikage clan in Japan where he takes a test to become part of the clan, betrays them for his own selfish reasons, returns to atone for his mistake and finally faces his father's killer. He also discovers the true identity of his own father which sets the film up very conveniently for a sequel. The choppily edited slam-bang action sequences - and there are countless which all become a blur of sound and movement - are familiar tropes of the genre. Golding, a very charismatic looking actor, is almost robotic in his demeanor showing zero emotion tbroughout. It's almost as if he is unsure if he can carry off this leading part. And his American accent comes and goes - if only they had just stuck with the actor's natural British accent. The film's production design and location work in Japan is outstanding as we get to view the fascinating homes and gardens so unique to that country. Maybe Golding will fare better in the sequel as he gets more comfortable with the part. Here he sadly lacks the sexy energy he brought to his role in "Crazy Rich Asians". Luckily that film too gets a sequel. Two in fact. Back to back.

Pushover (Richard Quine, 1954) 8/10

A bank robbery. The robber's sexy moll (Kim Novak - in her first starring role). An undercover cop (Fred MacMurray) on the stakeout with his partner (Philip Carey) spying on the moll and her clean cut neighbor (Dorothy Malone). Then the cop falls for the moll and her plan - kill her boyfriend and abscond with the loot. MacMurray was in the classic "Double Indemnity" which had a similar sort of plot. Most of the film is shot in a claustrophobic manner in rooms and hallways with voyeuristic moments as in Hitchcock's "Rear Window". Every trope of an excellent noir gets regurgitated putting this film right up there with many of the best. MacMurray is fine but Novak is extremely memorable as the cold yet vulnerable femme fatale.

Sea of Sand (Guy Green, 1958) 7/10

Unlike the American studios, which made a number of WWII propaganda films while the war was still raging, the British studios continued with many such themed films during the 1950s. Every big British star, at one point or the other, showed up in uniform on screen. With the war won but its Empire gradually crashing down these films were a positive morale booster. Each film regurgitated all the obvious tropes of the genre while exploring heroics in different parts of the world where British troops once fought. A commando unit is sent into the desert (the film was shot on location in in Libya) to destroy a German fuel dump. When the group discover a huge contingent of tanks parked at the dump their return journey becomes a hazardous death trap as they rush to warn HQ. The motley group of officers (John Gregson, Michael Craig) and soldiers (Richard Attenborough, Percy Herbert, Barry Foster, Ray McAnnaly) have to dodge German patrols, land mines and aircrafts while battling injuries, the excessive heat, boredom and lack of water. Exciting, suspenseful film is one of the better films in the genre with superb photography capturing the remote loneliness of the vast desert. The film and Michael Craig received Bafta nominations.

[gunnar]

Kenji Comes Home (1949) - 7.5/10 - Kenji was a Japanese soldier during WWII and he finally returns to his hometown in 1947 to find that things have changed a lot. His family home is in ruins, most of the people that he knew are dead or no longer live there, and jobs are scarce. He adopts a street orphan boy that he meets and befriends the sister of one of his late friends. He eventually finds work, but has to decide to follow the communist principles that are promoted there or the Christian teachings that his girlfriend Aki believes in. This is an anti-Communist, pro-Christianity short film, but it is still a decent enough film nonetheless and the actors do a nice job, though the story is told through narration rather than dialogue.

Eyewitness (1999) - 8.5/10 - Many artists were murdered in the concentration camps during WWII. A number of these artists created drawings and paintings in secret that documented conditions in the camps. A few were also recruited to create art for the Nazi officers and this helped them stay alive. Two survivors were interviewed about their time in the camps and pictures of their surviving art is shown along with artwork created by the numerous artists who didn't survive. Overall, it is a very interesting and somewhat haunting film.

[Reza]

Stillwater (Tom McCarthy, 2021) 8/10

This sensitive screenplay covers a number of themes - the clash and acceptance of different cultures, racial tensions and socioeconomic disparities that exist in both France and the United States, parent child bonding, life's many screw-ups and the ability to find redemption. At the center of the plot is a murder-mystery - inspired by a true case - which is played out very slowly while each character finds ways to connect with each other. An oil worker (Matt Damon) from Oklahoma travels to Marseille to be close to his daughter (Abigale Breslin in an underwritten part) who is serving a jail sentence for murdering her unfaithful lover. She claims she is innocent and is sure that a mutual friend committed the crime. Both father and daughter have a very strained relationship from their difficult past which he now hopes to rectify. He befriends a french woman (Camille Cottin) and grows close to her young daughter. Their role in the story not only helps to soften his hard-edged, almost shy, exterior but also helps him to navigate his way through the bureaucracy of the french legal system he encounters. Damon gives a quietly searing performance as the closed-off rigid roughneck who gradually opens up to himself and the world around. The film's third act goes, almost jarringly, back to the investigation of the crime which although gets resolved but leaves a bitter taste - I can well imagine why the lady whose life inspired this film came down hard on the filmmakers. "Life is brutal" is echoed by both father and daughter at different times during the film. Yes it can be brutal although it is sometimes also possible to find peace and a change of perspective through it all.

Sweet Girl (Brian Andrew Mendoza, 2021) 2/10

A woman dies of cancer after a life saving drug is suddenly taken off the market. Her devastated, burly, shaggy-haired husband (Jason Momoa) goes ballistic and goes after the CEO of the medical company dragging his young daughter (Isabela Merced) along. Bone crunching violence ensues as killers sent after them by a senator (Amy Brenneman) are doffed off one by one. And then, by way of a twist ending, you realize the screenplay has lied to the audience all along. Even Hitchcock played such a cheap trick many moons ago. So no big deal. However, here the plot takes on a prepostrous route after the big reveal that is just too unbelievable for any of this story to make sense. Avoid this terrible film like the plague. Instead send a donation to Jason Momoa so he can get a haircut and get rid of all that unruly hair off his face.

[gunnar]

Nowadays bullfighting has almost dissapeared and it is different from the spanish tradition. First of the bull is never killed in the arena and in Portugal there is a tradition where a group of men meet the bull head. This is called "pega de caras" which means, under literal translation "grab him by the face".

They showed that quite a bit. Groups of men standing around waiting their turn to try and grab the bull's head. They also had a preliminary entertainment where a man timed it so that he dove over the bull as he charged and then rolled safely to a standing position on the other side. It definitely takes a certain type of bravery (or foolishness ) to meet the bull head on like that.

[mlrg]

Portugal (1957) - 6/10 - Disney's People and Places travels to Portugal and looks at the people and geography. We visit a group of people collecting grapes and making wine to be shipped off. Next, we visit people who harvest cork and make things out of it. Finally, the rest of the film is devoted to bulls and bullfighting, though it appears to be a bit different than it is in Spain with groups of men meeting the bull head on without trying for a killing shot with a sword. It wasn't a great travelogue, but it was okay.

Well, Portugal in 1957 was a very very different country that it is today. The country was under a dictatorship between 1926 and 1974. Just to give you an example only 50% of the population older than 35 knew how to read and write during the 50´s.

Nowadays bullfighting has almost dissapeared and it is different from the spanish tradition. First of the bull is never killed in the arena and in Portugal there is a tradition where a group of men meet the bull head. This is called "pega de caras" which means, under literal translation "grab him by the face".

[gunnar]

Portugal (1957) - 6/10 - Disney's People and Places travels to Portugal and looks at the people and geography. We visit a group of people collecting grapes and making wine to be shipped off. Next, we visit people who harvest cork and make things out of it. Finally, the rest of the film is devoted to bulls and bullfighting, though it appears to be a bit different than it is in Spain with groups of men meeting the bull head on without trying for a killing shot with a sword. It wasn't a great travelogue, but it was okay.

The Spirit of America (1963) - 7.5/10 - This documentary is about the design, construction, and testing of a car to break the land speed record along with the actual attempts on the record. There was a lot of information about the work that went into it and I thought it was a nice documentary. They made the attempts at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

The Children of Soong Ching Ling (1984) - 7.5/10 - This documentary talks about the activities that Soong Ching Ling, widow of Sun Yat-sen, pursued from the 1940s until her death in 1981. She was concerned about the welfare of children and promoted better healthcare, vaccinations, more teachers, and a cultured outlook. The film examines a number of the changes in China from the late 1940s, including the huge increase in population and the one child policy that had been implemented to curb the population growth. It is a pretty good film, though the ties to Soong Ching Ling are not really explored very deeply.

On Hope (1994) - 7.5/10 - Annette O'Toole plays Hope, a well dressed and mannered suburban woman who is married, but childless. She literally runs into a woman named Wendy (Mercedes Ruehl) at a supermarket who is her opposite in many ways - lively, outgoing, etc.- and discovers that they live on the same street. They quickly become best friends and are almost inseparable. It is a pretty good short film.

Switzerland (1955) - 8/10 - This Disney People and Places short starts with aerial shots oft he Swiss Alps and of several major cities in Switzerland. We get a bit of insight into a traditional wedding ceremony before a fair amount of time is spent in a remote mountain village that would not be out of place in the 18th or 19th centuries. The villagers go about their daily work and during the winter, celebrate Christmas and other holidays. The film concludes with a look at (then) modern Swiss activities, including skiing, bobsledding, and mountain climbing. Overall, it was a nice travelogue with the village life being the most interesting part.

[Reza]

Reminiscence (Lisa Joy, 2021) 7/10

Interesting neo-noir science fiction thriller set in a flooded Miami with the sea risen due to climate change. The setting echoes Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" with surreal footage of Miami resembling Venice. The protagonist is no detective but is very much in the mode of Phillip Marlowe along with being the narrator. A war veteran who, with his partner (Thandie Newton), runs a machine that allows people to see their own memories. When a young woman (Rebecca Ferguson) walks into his office to explore her memory to look for lost keys his initial obsession with her turns to eventual love. When she suddenly disappears he begins searching for her only to discover a world full of deception, lies, drug traffickers, kidnapping and murder. Fast paced mystery is a reminder of much better films ("The Maltese Falcon", "The Godfather", "Chinatown") but Jackman, Newton and especially Ferguson, as the complicated femme fatale, are all very good and the film is well crafted and far from boring.

The Green Knight (David Lowery, 2021) 9/10

The star of this film is the breathtaking Irish scenery followed by the sumptuous production values which David Lowery, in his adaptation of the anonymous poem "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", splendidly brings to epic life. This film has to be experienced on the big screen in order to experience its visual splendor - the production design, costumes and cinematography are truly outstanding as they help to create this world of medeival fantasy. Lowery's screenplay is a slowburn with events taking place as if in slow motion which allows the viewer to be seduced and hypnotized. Gawain (Dev Patel), the nephew of King Arthur (Sean Harris), takes on the mysterious Green Knight's challenge - any man brave enough to land a blow on him will win his green axe but in return must travel to the Green Chapel a year later and receive an equal blow. Gawain lands his blow and severs the Green Knight's head. To fulfil his promise he undertakes the long journey fraught with many difficulties to render his part of the bargain. Dazzling revisionist take on the Arthurian legend explores masculinity, religion, heroism, fear, temptation, sex and betrayal. Patel easily dominates the film with his moving performance and gets able support by Sarita Chaudhury, Joel Edgerton, Alicia Vikander and Barry Keoghan playing vivid supporting roles.This is one of the year's best films and probably needs to be seen at least twice to experience its full impact.

F9 (Justin Linn, 2021) 4/10

Cool is seeing Dame Helen Mirren sitting next to Vin Diesel in a zooming car as she applies brakes and accelerates wearing zebra-striped ankle boots. Cool is seeing the black Tweedle Dee (Tyrese Gibson) & Tweedle Dum (Ludacris) trade quips and fly through space in their own vehicle. This film never stops being cool. From the usual suspects led by Vin - the coolest - to his estranged Bro (played as young and old by Finn Cole & John Cena), the villain of this episode, to chic and nasty Charlize Theron and Mr Nobody (Kurt Russell) and his black shades to the post credits sequence with Jason Statham. Everyone is on ultra-cool mode. In between there are car crashes ad nauseum and the realization that this franchise is getting to be a big bore. Can't wait for episode 10 though.

Il dolce corpo di Deborah / The Sweet Body of Deborah (Romolo Guerrieri, 1968) 3/10

"Baby Doll" grows up. This was the start of Hollywood star Carroll Baker's ten-year foray into the world of Italian gialos and horror films. An American woman (Carroll Baker) honeymoons with her french husband (Jean Sorel) in Geneva but they are disturbed by an old friend of his who accuses him of murdering his former fiancée. Soon after they start receiving mysterious telephone calls with the same accusation, the piano in their house plays a familiar tune that disturbs the husband and a strange man not only breaks into the house but comes on to her as well. Frightened out of her wits she starts popping tranquilizers. Badly directed and dubbed film has as its saving grace lovely Baker either dressed provocatively in fetishistic clothing or seen
in discreetly shot nude scenes in the shower and in bed. The two stars make a very hot looking pair although Baker seems to have forgotten all the acting she learned in Hollywood. Both stars give stiff performances with even their sex scenes acted very indifferently as they roll around on the bed unconvincingly. These scenes are simply there to titilate and an excuse to explore Baker's body. Oh yes there is also a twist ending but by then one is relieved this boring film is over.

Antoine et Colette (François Truffaut, 1962) 10/10

Truffaut's short film was part of the anthology "L'amour à vingt ans" / "Love at Twenty" which continues the story of Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud) first seen as a rebel in his early teens in "Les quatre cents coups" / "The 400 Blows". Here he is in his late teens and infatuated with Colette (Marie-France Pisier) who he first notices at a concert. After stalking her for some days he manages to forge a friendship but no matter how hard he tries to convince her of his love she only treats him like a pal while dating other men. This autobiographical film was based on an incident in Truffaut's own life - an infatuation with a girl he met at a cinema - and perfectly captures the pain of first love and the disappointment attached to love that is unrequited. Léaud and Pisier are both delightful and their relationship is a familiar reminder to many of us who have been through similar youthful angst.

Home From the Hill (Vincente Minnelli, 1960) 9/10

Sprawling but splendid melodrama is one of Minnelli's best films and also has one of Mitchum's most memorable performances. A saga about a rich but broken Texas family harbouring bitter secrets and resentments. A womanizing land baron (Robert Mitchum) lives under one roof with his angry and bitter wife (Eleanor Parker) and teenage son (George Hamilton) who is unaware of his parents' marital issues. She turned away from her husband upon discovering that he had a bastard son (George Peppard) who he raised and kept as a faithful employee although never acknowledging him as his son. He tries to wrest away his younger son from his wife's influence and gets him interested in manly pursuits like hunting to which he happily responds. The two young boys are close friends and spend time together with the younger one showing an interest in a neighbor's daughter (Luana Patten). When he discover's the truth about his parents' marriage and father's illegitimate son the family structure crumbles further leading to murder and a final catharsis. Mitchum, Parker, Hamilton, Peppard and Patten are all superb and there are memorable bits by Everett Sloane as Patten's father and Constance Ford as the town tramp with whom Mitchum finds occasional comfort. The screenplay by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr., based on the novel by William Humphrey, expertly juggles the complex relationships between each character which Minnelli presents in an old fashioned grandiose way. Subtlety be damned this is exactly how Bollywood movies about families operate in full on operatic mode. And who could have imagined that Minnelli could shoot an action sequence - the boar hunt - with so much suspense. Milton Krasner's colour cinematography is a major plus and the constant camera movement - following the actors up and down staircases and through the forest - is one of Minnelli's trademarks. The colour red - Minnelli's signature colour at MGM - is seen to dramatic effect throughout the film in particular the walls of Mitchum's study where a lot of the film's scenes are set. While the film is overlong it moves at a very fast pace.

[gunnar]

Kangaroo Court (1994) - 6/10 - Two white police officers pull over a black man driving in Watts. They pull him out of the car to arrest him for no apparent reason as a crowd gathers. One of the officers pulls his gun, but things don't go as he expects as the crowd turns on him and knocks him out. He awakes to find himself being put on trial by gang members for the murder of a neighborhood boy. Gregory Hines plays an attorney who is brought in to represent him in this kangaroo court. The idea of the story feels pretty relevant today, but I thought that the acting was kind of over the top and overall the film is just okay and felt stagy. Sean Astin directed this short film.

Down on the Waterfront (1993) - 7.5/10 - Jason Alexander and Jonathan Penner are film producers who have been making short subject films. They meet with a union official from the Longshoreman's Union (played by Ed Asner) who wants them to create a feature length film to improve their image. The film starts with part of a fake documentary that I thought was fun and would have been cool to see the whole thing. The rest of the film is pretty much just the three men talking in a park, but it is still entertaining.

Frances Steloff: Memoirs of a Bookseller (1987) - 8/10 - Frances Steloff opened the Gotham Book Mart in 1920 and it became a literary fixture in New York City for the next 80+ years. She pushed boundaries, fought against censorship, and promoted many writers over the years. She finally sold the store when she war around 80 years of age, but continued working there for over 20 more years until her death at 101. When this documentary was released, she was 99, but you certainly couldn't tell based on how active she was. She reminisces some about the history of the store and also about her own past and I enjoyed the film quite a bit.

Samoa (1956) - 8/10 - This Disney People and Places film shows the people in a village in Samoa as they go about their daily lives. We see them fishing, gathering coconuts, cooking, doing chores, having a council of elders, erecting a new building, singing and dancing, and more. It's actually a fairly pleasant way to spend a half hour. I'm sure that life there wasn't always so happy and free spirited, but it looked pretty nice here.

[Reza]

The Cockleshell Heroes (José Ferrer, 1955) 4/10

WWII film about the planting of mines on German enemy craft in the harbour at Bordeaux in occupied France. A band of Royal Marines, using kayaks, stealthily manoeuvre their way next to the ships to plant bombs. They are led by a newly appointed officer (José Ferrer doing double duty) and a disgruntled career officer (Trevor Howard). One of many WWII themed true stories that came out of British studios with familiar character actors surrounding the stars. This one takes its sweet time getting to the action with the first two thirds running time dealing with the boot training camp with a number of corny comic moments thrown in to pad up the film. All disageements between the stiff upper lip officers are sorted just in time for the heroics. Routine predictable film is quite a bore and a chore to sit through.

Your Witness (Robert Montgomery, 1950) 6/10

Montgomery directs this murder-mystery and perfectly captures the nuances of British village life - the small town inhabitants, the pub and life at the Country Manor. A New York attorney (Robert Montgomery) is summoned by the wife of an old wartime comrade who is on trial for murder. The screenplay, by Hitchcock collaborator Joan Harrison, touches amusingly on the differences between American and British traits - the intricacies of the British legal system and the differences between the British and American versions of the English language are put forth with subtle wit. As friend to the accused he tries to look for a female witness who happened to be present when the man was shot. Along the way he interacts with a slew of characters that run the gamut of British stereotypes - the incompetent police sergeant, the garrulous pub owner, Lord of the Manor (Leslie Banks) and a stuffy judge (Felix Aylmer). There is also a hint of a romance in this quaint little sleeper which was the actor-director's last big screen appearance.

The Thomas Crown Affair (John McTiernan, 1999) 7/10

I think I prefer the 1968 Norman Jewison version of this story with its dazzling multi-screen shots. Once so fashionable - a relic of the 1960s - it surprisingly still seems fresh and new. Then there is Faye Dunaway, in the bloom of youth, so very chic in those outlandish hats and brief mini-skirts - a fashionista who kept fashion swinging with each film she made. Don't get me wrong, I also think mature Rene Russo and her long legs is also quite stunning. She here has the same sassy attitude which fascinates her prey just as Steve McQueen found time to get fascinated by a game of chess with Dunaway. During a robbery at a museum a very rich Wall Street playboy (Pierce Brosnan) manages to swipe a Monet during the commotion. While the attempted robbery by four men is foiled he gets away with the painting. A cop (Denis Leary) teams up with an insurance agent (Rene Russo) to solve the mystery. While the cop is cautious in his investigation she goes straight for the jugular by ingratiating herself with the suspect and makes no bones about accusing him to his face. She also has sex with him which for the playboy is a new experience as he finds himself falling in love with her - in temperament both are similar - much to the amusement of his psychiatrist (Faye Dunaway). Along with Dunaway's cameo appearance we also get to hear the Oscar winning song "The Windmills of Your Mind". Slick film has great chemistry between the two hot stars and a lovely travelogue moment of picturesque Martinique.

The Flemish Farm (Jeffrey Dell, 1943) 7/10

WWII British propaganda film was shot during the war and used as a tool to build morale. Based on a true incident involving the officers of the Belgian Air Force who are asked to surrender to the invading Germans. Before doing so they bury their regimental flag on a farm after which a few officers manage to fly out safely. After spending time flying with the RAF one officer decides to secretly return to occupied Belgium to retrieve the flag. Low budget film has nail-biting suspense as the officer encounters various traps set by the Nazis. He also meets up with his old Commanding officer (Clive Brook), now retired but feeding information to the underground and about to sacrifice his life to save prisoners. Simple story of high ideals and patriotism packs quite a powerful punch with the flag taking on the symbol of hope.

[Reza]

La donna del lago / The Lady of the Lake / The Possessed (Luigi Bazzoni & Franco Rossellini, 1965) 9/10

Haunting mood piece has strong elements of a gialo even though no murder takes place on screen. A lonely and depressed writer (Peter Baldwin) returns to an Italian resort town on a lake in the dead of winter. He checks into the same hotel and informs the owner (Salvo Randone) and his daughter (Valentina Cortese) that he wants to relax and work on his new book. However, he has returned to meet the hotel maid (Virna Lisi) whom he had a crush on. He is shocked to hear that she is dead and everyone in town avoids discussing her. Did she commit suicide or was she murdered? She ingested poison but her throat was also slashed. As he wanders around the empty streets his memories and dreams intermingle as he remembers stalking the sexy woman who he secretly watched while a man made love to her. The town photographer shows him a photograph in which the woman looks pregnant. The hotel owner's daughter-in-law (Pia Lindström) signals to him from her bedroom window as if wanting to tell him something but before he can meet her the police find her dead body in the lake. Just as he begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together he discovers two more dead bodies in the hotel. Atmospheric crime drama is superbly put together with its sound design, bleak cinematography and music score highlighting the mystery and sense of doom prevailing over the entire town. The film is based on one of Italy’s most notorious crimes, The Alleghe killings, and adapted from the book by acclaimed literary figure Giovanni Comisso.

Strangers in Love (Lothar Mendes, 1932) 4/10

Stiff pre-code comedy is thankfully just over an hour long. Twin brothers (Fredric March) - one good and the other nasty - are at loggerheads over their family property where the nasty one has usurped the entire inheritance. When he suddenly dies of a heart attack the good brother takes his place which causes comic complications. March is his usual mannered self by Kay Francis is delightful as the twins' childhood buddy and secretary to the nasty one who has also swindled her father. Stuart Erwin is the silly comic relief who is in on the switch. While March gets to play center stage its Francis who steals the film. This minor film came right after March won the Academy award for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The Baron of Arizona (Samuel Fuller, 1950) 8/10

True story of master swindler, James Reavis (Vincent Price), who through an intricate series of forging land documents claimed title to the state of Arizona on behalf of his wife (Ellen Drew). His attempt to prove that his wife was the rightful owner of Arizona involved years of work forging documents in a monastery in Spain which housed original land grants issued by King Ferdinand VI. Price fits right into the role using his naturally oily demeanor and mellifluous voice to create yet another of his many memorable characters on screen. Fuller's low budget Western has a memorable plot made all the more bizarre because it was based on actual events. Lovely Ellen Drew is also very good as the spirited wife who stands steadfast by her crooked husband even though there are threats from lynch mobs and the hangman's noose. James Wong Howe's cinematography takes the film into noir territory.

Hurricane (Jan Troel, 1979) 5/10

A notorious flop in its day this remake of the John Ford classic from 1937 is based on the book by James Norman Hall and Charles Nordhoff. The critic Roger Ebert called it "a dull 90-minute romance followed by a dull 30-minute rainstorm." Well its not really all that bad although it does go on too long. The film's highlights are fascinating scenes depicting the native culture which is almost like a National Geographic documentary. This troubled production started off with producer Dino De Laurentiis firing director Roman Polanski when he got into trouble with the law after pleading guilty to the charge of unlawful sex with a minor. The location of Bora Bora proved too isolated so at a huge cost a hotel was built to house the film unit. The star-crossed romance at the center of the story is rather tepid with Mia Farrow badly miscast as the Governor's daughter who falls in love with a local native (Dayton Ka'ne) who becomes the high chief of the island. Farrow has zero chemistry with the inexperienced newcomer although he surprisingly comes off much better than his famous co-star who throughout looks like a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching car. Their affair causes her stern father (Jason Robards) to make it a personal vendetta against the young man who is imprisoned on a minor offence. She helps him escape from prison just as a hurricane hits the island causing death and destruction. Strong production values are a major plus with big names working behind the scenes - Danilo Donati as the costume and production designer, the stunning cinematography of the islands and the crystal clear sea by Sven Nykvist (who had an affair with Farrow during the long shoot) and Nino Rota's last completed score. Prominent actors appear as supporting characters - Max von Sydow as a doctor, Trevor Howard as a priest and Timothy Bottoms as Farrow's former boyfriend who she jilts for the native boy toy - although none of them have much to do except shout and flail once the storm begins. The spectacular storm sequence consists of repeated scenes of large waves crashing as the natives cower inside a church while the two lovers try to ride it out tied to a giant tree. As with every disaster film from the 1970s there is a peverse pleasure in seeing which of the stars perish.